The present invention relates to a protective assembly for tennis rackets and more particularly to a protective assembly for tennis rackets that can be used to adjust the weight of the racket and that can be easily removed or exchanged without the need for restringing the racket.
Through protective rims that can be used to adjust the weight a racket have been previously offered, they suffer from the fact that the headframe must first be unstrung before the protective rim is removed. As an example from the prior art, refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
The protective rim comprises a cover 6 with a recessed guide 61 formed along its center, between two outer sides 62a and 62b, and a holder strip 5 with a plurality of string guides 4 formed on its lower surface.
The outer periphery of headframe 1 has a centrally disposed recessed channel 2 with a plurality of threading holes 3a formed thereon. The inner periphery of headframe 1 has a matching set of threadholes 3b .
To secure the protective rim, the string guides 4 of holder strip 5 are first passed through holes 61a of cover 6 and then inserted through corresponding threadholes 3a and 3b headframe 1, with holder strip 5 resting inside groove 61.
A string is then threaded through axial holes 41 formed in each string guide 4 to string headframe 1 in the conventional manner to form a net thereon. This also secures holder strip 5 and cover 6 to the outer periphery of headframe 1.
Through cover 6 gives ample protection to the outer preiphery of headframe 1 and covers of different thickness can be used to adjust the weight of the racquet, holder strip 5 must first be removed in order to exchange for a new cover. This of course requires headframe 1 to be first unstrung, a laborious and time consuming task requiring the aid of a stringing machine.
Moreover, the racquet must be subsequently re-strung to secure the new cover. Repeated stringing and unstinging of the racket places undue stress on the headframe and eventually will cause cracks to occur near the threadholes, curtailing the service life of the racket.
The improved protective assembly of the present invention provide a user with the ability to change protective assembly without the need for unstringing of his or her racket or the need for extraneous tools.
A full and detailed description of the protective assembly of the present invention and its use is given below.